Published 7:11 am, Tuesday, May 7, 2013

West Texas' tough, clumpy soil is difficult to use in growing green grass and healthy plants, trees and produce.

But Aquatrol's Josh Ogden, a turf and ornamental territory manager said homeowners can counter that by investing in an acid injection system for their yards.

Ogden spoke with a small group of people Saturday at Alldredge the Garden Center to explain the science behind this process, which he said improves the ability for water to pass through soil and reach deeper sections of soil and plant roots for nourishment.

Justin Smith, general manager with Alldredge, said the injection system uses an acidic solution, called a soil penetrant, which opens up the air pores in the soil and allows for water and essential minerals to flow through the soil and into the plants. He said Texas soil naturally does not allow that to occur.

"If you were to pour water on that, it's just going to sit there," he said.

The acidic solution is stored in a separate tank that is connected to a water well by a coupling, Smith said. The solution then is siphoned into the water system.

Ogden said the penetrant allows for water to more efficiently penetrate soil.

"It makes water wetter," Ogden said. "If you can get more water in plants, (they) have a better chance to utilize that water."

Ogden compared West Texas water to beer and soft drinks: If a person is dehydrated and drinks those beverages, the alcohol, sugar and sodium in those respective drinks prevent hydration in a person's body.

The water, high in sodium and bicarbonates, works in a similar fashion.

Those minerals cause soil to collapse into smaller particles -- similar to sand -- and prevents water from seeping into the lower layers of soil. Sodium is not all bad, but Ogden said it becomes a problem when trying to water your plants.

Some people at the seminar were concerned the penetrant may be toxic, but Smith said it is not harmful when mixed with water. The penetrant also is diluted with urea, but people and animals should not drink it by itself, as it can cause diarrhea and upset stomach. He believes its addition to a water well ultimately could improve a yard's health and look.

"Anything that you're putting down is now going into the ground rather than just sitting on top or kind of floating off onto the street," Smith said.

In terms of benefits, Ogden said the injection system also could cut down water usage and runoff by 20 to 50 percent.

"If you can make the water work better, you don't have to use as much," he said.

And this water solution is not new. Ogden said this method of aerating soil and dirt has been around since as early as the 1940s and has been used in golf courses and farms.

Smith added that the penetrant could drastically decrease a person's water bill. His company installed the system for a woman who was paying about $650 a month on her water bill. After the installation, the woman's water bill decreased to about $58 a month.

Smith said the system costs between $3,500 and $8,500 for 5-, 30- or 55-gallon tanks.